Staff Member of the Month: March 2024

Emily Falls

Anatomic Pathology Technician
Necropsy Laboratory

Nomination

Emily Falls is the anatomic pathology technician in the necropsy laboratory. Her responsibilities include accessioning necropsy cases, ordering ancillary tests, trimming tissues for histopathology, communicating with owners and referring veterinarians, making paw prints and claw paws for pet owners, ordering and stocking laboratory supplies and equipment, scheduling and supervising the necropsy student technicians, and keeping the necropsy lab efficient and orderly. Emily is also a certified Pet-Loss Grief Recovery Specialist who frequently helps grieving pet owners deal with the loss of a beloved animal.

In December, the necropsy laboratory received the bodies of 30 animals as part of a legal investigation. On top of her regular responsibilities, Emily worked with the Virginia Office of the Attorney general to coordinate delivery of the bodies to the necropsy laboratory; received, inventoried, and accessioned all of the cases; assisted with the necropsies; facilitated shipment of tissues to another laboratory for additional testing; and sent out the final reports. Emily’s assistance with these cases ensured that the Office of theState Attorney General received prompt and accurate results, facilitating the pursuit of justice in this legal investigation.